Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Lovesharks.sg Blog Watch

If you're curious about how the global anti sharks fin campaign is working in Asia you need look no further than lovesharks.sg

With his pulse on events in entire region "Sharkman" delivers up great conservation content.

Today, foodie blog Gastronomic Ruminations (click link) covered Lovesharks.sg new initiative in the foodie world, "veggie sharks fin" and a unique way to encourage those who love the fin to love something a little less odious:

lovesharks.sg invited some bloggers and I to dinner to try a Vegetarian Shark's Fin Soup as part of their pro bono campaign for shark conservation. Their intent was to change the local (well, its mostly the Chinese) mindset about consuming Shark's Fin as a prized delicacy through education and presenting alternatives.

I love Shark's Fin Soup but as a diver, I feel peer pressure to refrain from consuming Shark's Fin. I decided to go with an open mind as it was an interesting cause that has been subject to much controversy. Some say that only the fins are harvested and the shark is thrown back into the water (leaving the bleeding, finless animal to die a slow and painful death) while others say that the whole shark is used.

I guess they decided not to hurt any animals by opting for a vegetarian meal. Hmm, I may love vegetables but I also love to eat meat so I wasn't sure how I would enjoy a vegetarian soup dish that is meant to emulate the robust flavours found in good quality shark's fin soups. Admittedly, the flavour comes from the rich stock as shark's fins are inherently flavourless. Then again, the point of the dinner was about learning to "love" live sharks and not shark's fins.